I collected all the hardcover Time Life Foods of the World books and while I have occasionally cooked from various volumes, I'm now actually reading them all cover to cover. This is the second one I read.

My last vacation was to New Orleans and I knew I would love this volume in particular because I have such fond memories of the trip and because I developed an obsession for Creole food while there. I think I would have especially loved this volume even if I hadn't recently been there because it is so lovingly written. The author was raised in New Orleans and he has wonderful stories and a deep affection for the area and its people. I like reading these books because they often paint such a vivid picture of a place that it is like traveling and I think this volume is one of the best at that. The photos are great, although not the greatest in the series. The pictures of NOLA restaurants and their proud staff are among the best, along with the photos showing how Tabasco sauce is made.

I adore shellfish so there were plenty of recipes that I flagged in this book to try. They look very approachable. It seems like every savory recipe contains ham which I don't eat much of, although it plays a supporting role and I think I can sub it out in many dishes. Probably not the best volume for a vegetarian. For a book covering New Orleans food, only a few of the city's famous cocktails are covered (Sazerac, café brulot) but I think that's because there's a separate volume for wine and spirits. ( )

Not just a cookbook, but an interestingly written and beautifully illustrated volume that depicts a wide variety of Cajun and Creole foods. ( )